The present invention relates to the field of sinks, and in particular, to a portable sink that can be used outdoors for activities like camping, fishing, hunting, and the like.
Many outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, camping, etc., involve clean-up requirements for which an outdoor sink would be desirable. Although many camp grounds have running water via an outdoor faucet, most outdoor areas do not have outdoor sinks where clean-up tasks, such as cleaning fish and game, washing pots and pans, etc., can be done. Moreover, although most homes have outdoor water faucets (i.e., for attaching to garden hoses), they do not have outdoor sinks for clean-up tasks such as painting projects, washing dogs, potting plants, etc.
Some attempts have been made in the past to provide portable sinks that can be used outdoors. For example, in Leavitt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,938, a portable camping sink that includes a tank and tub hinged together, that can be locked together during transportation, and placed in an open position during use, is disclosed. The tank contains water used to provide the tub (sink) with its own water supply. Also, in Valbuena, U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,169, a portable camping sink with a pressurized water supply is disclosed. The sink has a main case and an open top with a hinged cover. Valbuena also provides its own water supply so that it can be used much like a sink at home. Another attempt relates to a portable kitchen unit that includes a detachable sink, shown in Peterson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,157. This sink is said to have many uses, including as a lid, lock, wash basin, stand, table, storage bin, etc. This sink, however, does not have its own water supply, and has no means of providing water; it simply shows a container that serves as a sink basin.
What is needed, therefore, is a portable sink that can not only be easily transported and set up in an outdoor environment, but that also has many of the features that are desirable, including legs that unfold to support the sink, a connection to an existing water supply, a spray nozzle for spraying water, an adjustable spigot, storage for various utensils and appliances, etc.
The present invention relates to a portable sink with a lid that is capable of being connected to an existing water supply, such as an outdoor hose or faucet, such that running water can be provided inside the sink in an outdoor environment. The preferred embodiment of the present invention preferably has many features, including legs that unfold to support the sink in an elevated position, an adjustable spigot that can be lowered and raised depending on whether the lid is opened or closed, a handle for the spigot to control the flow of water into the sink, a spray nozzle for providing a controlled spray of water which can be useful for cleaning purposes, a storage drawer for storing various utensils and appliances, a shelf extending from the lid which is adapted to be level when the lid is opened, a large drain for allowing water and debris in the sink to be easily drained out, funnels that can be extended from the drain to direct water in the appropriate direction, strainers for straining debris flowing out of the sink, supports within the sink capable of allowing cutting boards and baskets to be supported thereon, etc. The lid enables the sink to be used as a container for storing items during travel. The sink can also be made of an insulating material so that it can double as an ice chest when desired. A pressurized water tank can be provided which is preferably sized to fit inside the sink and adapted to supply water where no other water supply exists.